Alexandrou confesses to smoking weed

Ex-EastEnders star James Alexandrou has admitted to smoking cannabis.

A picture of the actor using the drug was placed on social networking site Facebook.

Alexandrou, who played Martin Fowler in the BBC soap, said he was using the drug to "be sociable", but insisted he had never purchased the illegal substance himself.

"I was at a dinner party and a spliff was rolled, which I had some of to be sociable," he told Now.

"I have never bought drugs myself and I smoke weed very rarely."

Speaking about his relationship with troubled singer Amy Winehouse, he said: "Because of the coverage surrounding Amy Winehouse’s drug problems at the moment, anyone associated with her is subjected to scrutiny.

"Unfortunately for me, I have been made to look like I’m a regular drug user, which is certainly not the case."